Stories & Memories

I wanted to share a few memories of Toby as I knew him.

 

Toby meets the Mayor

One night Toby and I went out on the town dressed up as Roman Centurions. We wanted to create a zany video for Toby to be remembered by. We went to the Cathedral in St Albans where it made an apt set for our meanderings. We were making a very silly clip in the entrance way when the cathedral doors flung open, and a limousine pulled up out side. Out came no other than the Mayor of St Albans in his full garb. Toby and I were so shocked that we stood to attention pretending to be a guard of honour in our Roman costumes as he walked by!

Toby the Bodmin Monster

Toby and Kym used to help with the Youth club at the church and one time we took a group to Tavistock, Devon, for an adventure weekend. (I think it was during one of the first times that Toby had been diagnosed with Cancer and so it was really fresh to him). Toby had this crazy idea of pretending to be the infamous Bodmin monster and creeping up on some of the kids as they were on a night hike. It was so hilarious to recall us hiding behind hedges in the pitch black snarling and grunting 'monster like' as the kids walked by (some screaming). I am sure that many of them still need therapy for how we scared them that night!

Toby the Dancer

I was a song leader at a church that Toby attended for a while and one of the most precious memories I have of Toby is of him dancing so hard that his whole body was drenched in perspiration and his hair was looking like a wet mop. He was a tremendous dancer, very expressive and completely uninhibited. I remember seeing the scar from his surgery after one such dance session and noting that he poured out his unique worship with complete abandonment despite his bodily pain and his inner turmoil. It was truly inspiring to me.

Toby the singer

I remember Being impressed that Toby knew so many song lyrics especially lyrics from bands that most people had never heard of!

Toby forced to write

The Last time I saw Toby I stayed too long and missed my plane back to Canada! I wanted to see him because I was afraid that maybe I wouldn't see him again because of distance and his serious illness. I popped in to see him en route to the airport but he was very weak. and couldn't talk too well, so he reluctantly wrote down everything in a note pad. He 'talked' mostly about the most precious things in his life, his Son and Daughter. He also told me that he loved me, (which he often did) Toby was good at making people feel loved! I recall telling him that heaven awaited him and that even if it was hard that he should lean on his Maker for strength. We prayed together and it felt really sad to me because I knew I would probably not see my good friend again.

 

I have thought of Toby a lot these past few weeks sometimes with joy and sometimes with tinges of sadness. I am looking forward to seeing him again in that house that has no pain, and where I will not have to leave to catch a plane.

Graham Ord

(Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada)